January 29, 2025 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

02/13/2025 11:25:53 AM Page 5 to 8 of 143 2 of 57 sheets 5 Could you put your full name on the record.1 MR. SEEl: Mark Seel.2 MS. MCGOVERN: S-E-E-L, correct?3 MR. SEEL: That is correct.4 MS. MCGOVERN: Do swear or affirm to tell5 the truth and nothing but the truth so help you God.6 MR. SEEL: I do.7 M A R K S E E L, having been duly sworn8 under oath testifies as follows:9 Thank you, Mr. Seel.10 Q. If you would just offer your credentials for the11 board. Tell them in what respect you're testifying12 tonight and give them a little bit about your13 educational background and experience.14 Sure. Thank you. I have over 30 years of15 A. experience in geological and geotechnical engineering16 throughout the United States and overseas. I have a17 bachelor's degree from the Colorado School of Mines --18 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Can you talk into the19 microphone, sir.20 I have a bachelor's geological degree from21 A. Colorado School of Mines and a masters degree in22 engineering, environmental/civil engineering from23 Stevens Institute of Technology.24 Over 30 years of experience working throughout25 6 New Jersey as well as the rest of the United States and1 overseas.2 Projects that I worked on, I attended project3 development areas, small scale, large scale residential,4 retail, industrial, commercial, energy power, all areas5 of infrastructure within the building environment and6 specializing in geotechnical engineering. I focus on7 development and supervision of geotechnical8 investigations, geological investigations as well as9 interpretation of data and the development of solutions10 and recommendations for development of grounds which11 would include stabilization of slopes, etc.12 And you're license in New Jersey?13 Q. I am licensed in New Jersey as well as a dozen14 A. other states both in geology and civil engineering.15 And your license is in good standing?16 Q. Correct.17 A. CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Okay. Thank you.18 Do any members of the board have any questions?19 Seeing none, we will accept Mr. Seel as a licensed20 geotechnical expert in the State of New Jersey.21 MR. PLOCKER: Okay. Thank you very much.22 Mr. Seel, I'm going to turn it over to you. Can23 Q. you just initially explain to the board what you were24 retained to do by the applicant, what you did, and what25 7 your findings were?1 Yes. So I was retained, or our firm was retained2 A. to basically assess

initially explain to the board what you were24 retained to do by the applicant, what you did, and what25 7 your findings were?1 Yes. So I was retained, or our firm was retained2 A. to basically assess whether or not Building D, which is3 at the top of the slope, if it's safe to build at the4 top of that slope. And so what we had done to evaluate5 that condition is we did a subsurface investigation that6 consisted of drilling four soil borings and some rock7 borings as well as some other additional test pits to8 evaluate the ground conditions throughout the slope, at9 the top of the slope where Building D is located as well10 as further down the slope to the east. We ran some11 laboratory tests to determine certain soil rock12 parameters, strike parameters and we ran a slope13 stability analysis using our software program to14 evaluate the ground conditions. What we found in our15 investigation was that the soil profile is generally16 very dense and it's overlying a relatively hard and --17 relatively hard rock and subject conditions at the time18 of the investigation were dry.19 The slope itself is fairly densely vegetated as20 perhaps well understood, which include significant tree21 cover as well. And we found that this, this type of22 soil profile and the generally shallow slope, which is23 on order of between 10 and 17 degrees from horizontal,24 so, again, relatively flat, is inherently stable given25 8 the strength and materials that are involved in our1 analysis. And we found that, that, that they are2 inherently stable, both under existing condition and3 there was no change when we analyzed the condition where4 Building D is put in place at the top of that slope.5 There's the -- our analysis proved or showed us that the6 slope is both inherently stable in existing condition as7 well as the proposed future condition.8 Okay.9 Q. And just for the record Mr. Seel, we did file10 with the board a report from Langan Engineering, there's11 a executive summary letter dated January 14, 202512 followed by a more comprehensive report dated January13 14, 2025. I just wanted to confirm that, that report14 was prepared by you and/or your supervision with Lagan?15 That is correct.16 A. Okay.17 Q. And you rely on that report today and support18 it's contents, data that's contained therein in the19 conclusions?20 That correct.21 A. Okay.22 Q. MR. PLOCKER: I have

That is correct.16 A. Okay.17 Q. And you rely on that report today and support18 it's contents, data that's contained therein in the19 conclusions?20 That correct.21 A. Okay.22 Q. MR. PLOCKER: I have nothing further for Mr.23 Seel.24 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Okay.25